Swags or Panels, Panels or Swags

I’ve fallen in to window treatment hell. The only thing I do know at this point is what I don’t want. I don’t want heavy, Victorian-esque drapes with a dominating valance that covers everything. I spent way too much time stripping the paint off the woodwork in this room to now cover it all up with pinch-pleated drapes.

I toyed with the idea of lace panels, but that is really a bit much for me. The next thing you know I would be tossing doilies around the room. Mostly, I’m trying to avoid the house looking too much like an 1890s Victorian. I’m trying to find a nice balance between the old and the new. I want a slightly contemporary look with a definite nod to the past.

I’m almost finished with the paint stripping on these


Above are the windows in question. This is the 3-window bay in the dining room. You can see the other 3 walls in this room in a post from last week. Including the casing and corner blocks, each window is 110X42 inches. This pretty much rules out anything off-the-shelf. I was just at Target and the longest panels they had were 95-inches. Even if I started at the base of the corner blocks they would still hang awkwardly off the floor.

I was going to go to a local drapery place, but after my last experience with a local shop owner I might blow up at them, and not just on the blog, if I was met with a poor attitude. I’ve found that when shopping for drapes or carpeting I’m usually not accepted very well unless I were to go in dressed in a 3 piece suit or something. They pretty much feel like they are wasting their time.

I remember when I shopped for carpet at my last house. When I told the sales woman I needed carpet for 3 rooms and a hallway she immediately took me to the in-door/out-door carpet samples. I had to stare at her her in the eyes, and in a voice like I was talking to a 2 year old say, “No, for inside my house. Three rooms and a hallway inside my house”. Later, in the same house, I had another salesman come by to give me a quote on sheet vinyl for the kitchen. What was there was dingy and stained and curling up along one wall. His response was, “What, for a guy like you, this isn’t too bad”. He didn’t get my business either. {Sigh!} It is like I must beg people to take my money sometimes.

I’m going to go with wood rods and holders. I’ve found several unfinished types both locally and on-line that I can stain to look like redwood, so it will match the rest of the wood in the room. For the drapes I was leaning towards simple tabbed panels at first, because I thought it would be easy. I’m sure I could find someone to sew a hem and add some tabs at the top if I found the fabric. However, I think that might be a little too contemporary. It is a nice look, but a little plain for this room.

So now I’m leaning towards swag drapes. If I beg and plead, and maybe buy a new suit, I could probably find a professional to make swag drapes for me. Another trend is to hang fabric over rod and loop it across the top, with the swag hanging down in the middle. I think it is a nice look and not too formal, but it may be too trendy. I want to hang the rods at the base of the corner blocks so the blocks are still visible. I’ve ordered roller-shades from Smith & Noble for the windows, so the swag drapes would be in addition to that, and go to the floor on both sides.

Pinch Pleated With Valance


Tab Panel


Swag – mine would be a little simpler than this


When I used Smith & Noble for the kitchen some people mentioned how they were over-priced and I should shop else where next time. This time I went to three or four different sites and Smith & Noble was right in the ballpark and not even the most expensive. Some sites were really, really cheap, but that makes me nervous to buy something that is so far below what others are selling the item for. I picture the first time I go to roll up the shade the damn thing breaks and pops off the wall and is then a non-rolling roller shade for the next 10 years.

With the roller shades purchased and the rods and hangers picked out, the last piece of the puzzle is the fabric for the swag. So today I went – {wait for it} – in to a fabric store. I was so far out of my element I felt like I should have been in a NASA space suit with a tether attaching me to my car in the parking lot. It was like I was in a SciFi movie with deep, noisy inhales and exhales as I moved in slow motion around the rows of fabrics. This must be how some woman feel when they go in to an auto-parts store. I had no idea where to even start.

I strolled around looking at fabrics and noting prices. I figure I need 8 yards per window. Prices ranged from $2.99 to $9.99 a yard, but nothing really caught my eye at first. This is primarily because I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I eventually found my way back to a selection of upholstery fabrics. They were pricey, but really very nice and a lot to chose from. The best part is, they are normally $14.99 a yard, but are 40% off until the end of the month. Some have nice patterns that I think would give me that nod to the past that I’m looking for. Now I just need to make a decision.

Ugh!